Kashi Darshan — Varanasi

Kashi, now called Varanasi, is both one of the Saptapuri and the home of Kashi Vishwanath, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. That double standing is why it appears in almost every pilgrimage plan in north India. It is also a city rather than a shrine, and the ghats along the Ganga are as much the destination as the temples.

Kashi's place in tradition rests on the belief that it is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities and a place of liberation. Kashi Vishwanath anchors it for Shaiva pilgrims; the ghats anchor it for everyone else, as the site of morning bathing, evening aarti and the cremation grounds that shape the city's character.

Sarnath, a short distance away, is where the Buddha is held to have given his first teaching, which makes the area significant to Buddhist pilgrims as well.

A two-day shape that works:

• Early morning: a boat on the Ganga from one of the main ghats, which is how the ghats are traditionally seen
• Morning: Kashi Vishwanath, then the temples in the surrounding lanes
• Afternoon: Sankat Mochan Hanuman and Durga Kund, which sit in the same southern part of the city
• Evening: the aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat
• Second day: Sarnath, and the older quarters and bazaars

The old city is a maze of narrow lanes and vehicles cannot reach most of it. Expect to walk, and keep footwear simple since you will remove it often.

Mornings are the productive hours here. The boat ride and the temple visits both work best early, and the lanes get busier and slower as the day goes on.

Dev Deepawali and the major snan days draw exceptionally large gatherings. They are remarkable and they are not the right days for an unhurried darshan.

Temple timings differ and several have separate aarti slots. The temple pages linked here carry them; confirm close to your travel date, as festival days change the schedule.

October to March. The monsoon raises the Ganga and can restrict boats and access to the lower ghats; April to June is very hot.